Lighting for 29 gallon reef tank

[bkoppes]

Hello all, I want to know the brand and kind of lighting I should buy for my tank. I want the best and something that anything can live under. Money is not an issue. I have heard I should have 7 watts per gallon. I am building a custom canopy once I buy my lighting. Should I get PC lighting or some other kind????

I am also going to put a fan in my canopy and the back of the canopy will be open to allow the warm air to exit.

[motorslave]

If you want something that will be able to support anything then go with MH. As far as the watt per gallon, that is a very loose and not really valuable rule of thumb. There are many opinions and options on lighting. Some swear by PC's some swear by T5's (seems to be the rage ATM) But keep in mind there is more to lighting (particularly with SPS) and results with coral. If you re new to the hobby keep it simple and get something along the lines of 150 watt MH with some actinic supplementation. Just my .02

And welcome to TRT!!!!!!

[Danyen]

I agree, watts per gallon is not a very accurate way to measure. I'm a big fan of T5's, but then I live in sunny southern California, and I don't run a chiller.

Is your tank a standard 29g, or an all in one cube, or something custom? While I'm a big fan of T5's, you aren't going to find a 30" fixture that is worth buying (assuming your tank is a standard size). I have a standard 29g with a 4 bulb tek light t5 fixture that I love, but the 36" fixture is longer than the tank. The fixture is suspended above the tank, but wouldn't fit in a canopy.

If you have a biocube or one of the other AIO tanks, you might want to look into nanotuners.com, which sells customized hoods that look really clean.

HTH

[Loverotties]

There is no,live under anything lights .Cold water reef need less light then reg Reef.In a Reg reef,I'd go Mh then maybe T-5.

[The Fish Guy, LLC]

If you're looking to get the best, you may look into a 24" led solaris or the like set up.

[motorslave]

Originally Posted by The Fish Guy, LLC

If you're looking to get the best, you may look into a 24" led solaris or the like set up.

Bette break out the check book for that one. If you did go LED, which i new in the hobby, I would wait til the prices come down and it has been on the market longer. BUT, I have heard some folks who have them and like them. The units Ive seen have many option like diming etc.

[aquawolf]

Originally Posted by motorslave

Bette break out the check book for that one. If you did go LED, which i new in the hobby, I would wait til the prices come down and it has been on the market longer. BUT, I have heard some folks who have them and like them. The units Ive seen have many option like diming etc.

Yeah, I really wish I was independently wealthy just so I could by one of the Solaris fixtures and try it out.

For now, since I have a budget and am assuming you do as well, I would also recommend metal halide or T5. I am kind of fond with the shimmer that the MH put on the tank, but am thinkiking about going T5 on my next project.

[motorslave]

Personally, I would start with the MH, keeping some things like SPS under T5's can be one and frequently is but there is a balancing act there to obtain the best color and growth. The MH's have a variety of bulb color and have been around for a long time. I'm not knocking t5's, (I would probably get strung up!) just think that when starting in the hobby, going with the tried and true is the best bet. MH will allow anything from SPS to anemones an softies.